Hostel Assistance Kit – 2017
HOSTEL ASSISTANCE KIT 2017
CONTENTS
1. Calendar
- 2017 Calendar of Events including future school holiday dates
2. Department of Education and Training Information
- 2017 Update Sheet
- Department of Education and Training personnel (Hostels)
- Student hostel funding policy update
3. General Funding Conditions
- General funding conditions for student hostels
- Student Hostel Accountability Checklist and Certificate
4. Student Hostel Support Scheme – Recurrent Grant
- Recurrent Grant Policy and Guidelines
- How to apply for assistance
- How to complete the Financial Certificate and Statement of Uses and Benefits
- Auditor’s guidelines for Financial Certificate completion
5. Student Hostel Support Scheme – Capital Grant
- Capital Grant Policy and Guidelines
6. Fire Safety
- Fire safety requirements for non-government school term hostels
7. Child Safety
- Health, safety and conduct of students and staff
8. Student Hostel Contacts
- Queensland Government Approved Student Hostels
- Casino Community Benefit Fund
- Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian
- Offices of the Queensland Fire and Rescue Authority
- Queensland Residential School Staff Association
- Offices of Work Cover Queensland
- Offices of the Division of Workplace Health and Safety
9. National Association for Rural Student Accommodation Inc.
(BOARDING AUSTRALIA)
10. Assistance Information for Parents
11. Information for State Primary and Secondary Schools
Section 1 – Calendars Hostel Assistance Kit - 2017
2017 CALENDAR OF EVENTSDate
Early January
23 January
24 February
28 February
Late March
25 May
26 May
23 June / Event
Submit financial records to auditor to enable 2016 Financial Certificate to be completed.
Start of Semester 1.
Prepare and submit Semester 1 claim form (see Student Hostel Support Scheme – Recurrent Grant – Section 4)
Return Hostel Information Update Sheet to School Financial Resourcing, Department of Education and Training (see Department of Education and Training Information – Section 2).
Semester 1 payment.
Final date for students to be enrolled to attract Semester 1 payment.
Closing date for receipt of Capital Grant applications to be funded in 2016-2017 financial year (see Student Hostel Support Scheme - Capital Grant - Section 5).
End of semester 1.
Return 2016 Financial Certificate and Statement of Uses and Benefits to Department of Education and Training (see Student Hostel Support Scheme - Recurrent Grant - Section 4). / Date Completed
__/__/__
__/__/__
__/__/__
__/__/__
PTO for Semester 2
2017 CALENDAR OF EVENTS (Cont.)
Date
10 July
Late July
14 August
Early September
26 October
31 October
Mid November
27 November
8 December / Event
Start of Semester 2.
Pre-printed Semester 2 claim forms sent to hostels.
Prepare and submit Semester 2 claim form (see Student Hostel Support Scheme - Recurrent Grant - Section 4).
Semester 2 payment (subject to receipt of satisfactory Financial Certificate and Statement of Uses and Benefits).
Final date for students to be enrolled to attract Semester 2 payment.
Prepare and submit Supplementary claim form if necessary.
Supplementary payment (subject to receipt of satisfactory Financial Certificate and Statement of Uses and Benefits).
Closing date for Supplementary claim. (Applications must be received by the School Financial Resourcing Unit no later than this date.)
Closing date for advice of Intention to Apply for Capital Grant 2016-2017 (see Student Hostel Support Scheme - Capital Grant - Section 5).
Closing date for 2016 Financial Certificate and Statement of Uses and Benefits (see Student Hostel Support Scheme - Recurrent Grant - Section 4). If not received by this date, Semester 2 and Supplementary payments for 2016 will be forfeited. / Date Completed
__/__/__
__/__/__
State School Vacations
2016 Resume 25 Jan 25 Mar to 10 Apr 26 Jun to 10 Jul 17 Sep to 3 Oct 10 Dec to 22 Jan 2017
2017 Resume 23 Jan 1 Apr to 17 Apr 24 Jun to 9 Jul 16 Sep to 2 Oct 9 Dec to 21 Jan 2018
Section 2 – Information Hostel Assistance Kit – 2017
STUDENT HOSTEL SUPPORT SCHEME
2017 UPDATE SHEET
This sheet should be completed by student hostels and returned to Department of Education and Training, to maintain its records.
NAME OF HOSTEL:ACTUAL ADDRESS OF HOSTEL:
POSTAL ADDRESS OF HOSTEL:
TELEPHONE NUMBER (HOSTEL):
FAX NUMBER (HOSTEL):
INTERNET SITE ADDRESS (HOSTEL):
E-MAIL ADDRESS (HOSTEL):
NAME OF HOUSEPARENT/S:
CONTACT NAME AND ADDRESS FOR DEPARTMENTAL CORRESPONDENCE (INCLUDING PAYMENT ADVICE):
TELEPHONE NUMBER (OTHER)
PLEASE SPECIFY:
STUDENT ACCOMMODATION CAPACITY
OF HOSTEL:
Please update and retain a copy of this form in the Hostel Assistance Kit and forward the original to:
Hostels Finance Officer
School Financial Resourcing
Department of Education and Training
PO Box 15033
CITY EAST QLD 4002
Any further inquiries should be directed to Finance Officer, ( (07) 3034 5825.
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING PERSONNEL
Hostels Finance Officer
School Financial Resourcing
(: (07) 3034 5825
Fax: (07) 3034 5890
Email Address:
Office address:
School Financial Resourcing
Department of Education and Training
PO Box 15033
CITY EAST QLD 4002
STUDENT HOSTEL FUNDING POLICY UPDATE
Accountability visits
Currently planning is underway to resume accountability visits for 2017-18.
Section 3 – General Funding Conditions Hostel Assistance Kit – 2017
GENERAL FUNDING CONDITIONS FOR STUDENT HOSTELS
INTRODUCTION
In order to receive any Queensland Government funding or benefits, a student hostel must meet certain conditions. These conditions must be met both before the hostel can receive benefits and while the hostel continues to receive benefits. To ensure that hostels meet these conditions, departmental officers will undertake to visit each hostel every three years if possible and complete a Student Hostel Accountability Checklist and Certificate in conjunction with hostel personnel.
GENERAL FUNDING CONDITIONS
Student hostels must obtain approval to receive funding from the Queensland Government. This approval is provided by the Director-General of Education and Training.
The Director-General must be satisfied that hostels are operating in a manner consistent with the purpose of state funding before financial assistance can be provided under Section 368 of the Education (General Provisions) Act 2006.
To be eligible for financial assistance under the Student Hostel Support Scheme (SHSS) a student hostel must:
(a) be located in a rural community;
An approved hostel must be located more than 50 kilometres from the following centres: Brisbane, Toowoomba, Ipswich, Gold/Sunshine Coasts, Nambour, Maryborough, Bundaberg, Gladstone, Rockhampton, Mackay, Townsville, Cairns, or such centres as determined from time to time by the Minister for Education and Training.
(b) be established and operate principally to accommodate geographically isolated students so that they may have daily access to school;
At least 80% of students enrolled in an approved hostel should meet the residential distance criteria of the Queensland Government Living Away From Home Allowances Scheme (LAFHAS) and the Commonwealth Government Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) Scheme.
Eligibility is based on meeting one of the following:
· The distance from the family home of the student to the nearest Queensland government school with the appropriate year level for the student is:
─ At least 16 km via the shortest trafficable route, and
─ At least 4.5 km to the nearest available approved school transport service or public transport service pickup point.
OR
─ At least 56 km, and
─ Less than 4.5 km to the nearest available approved school transport service or public transport service pickup point.
· The distance travelled from the family home, via the shortest trafficable route to the transport pickup point plus the distance via the official transport service to the appropriate government school, must be at least 56 km.
OR
· The family home of the student to the nearest Queensland Government school with the appropriate year level for the student is:
─ At least 3 hours travelling time per day using the school transport or public transport service.
(c) be established and cater for primary and/or secondary school students;
Students with disabilities may be enrolled on the same basis as primary and secondary students and will attract the same benefits.
Tertiary or TAFE students and students from interstate may be enrolled only after enrolments from eligible students are considered, however such students will not attract benefits.
(d) be open to any child attending a state or an approved non-state school;
To demonstrate an open enrolment policy, hostels must have a prospectus which reflects a commitment to this concept. Prospectuses should be updated and widely circulated every three years, and the open enrolment policy should be included in any advertising.
The hostel must not be associated with a particular non-state school (e.g. as a boarding wing for a specific school).
The hostel must not be established to cater exclusively for special groups (e.g. students with disabilities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students or students restricted on the basis of religion).
(e) demonstrate an ongoing regional need and economic viability;
Continuing hostels
An approved hostel must have more than two families represented in its enrolment.
New hostels
The ongoing regional need must be established with projections of student numbers and supporting statements from principals of local schools and the local departmental Executive Director, Schools; or, in the case of non-state schools, the sponsoring organisation (such as the relevant Catholic Education Office or church authority). New hostels must be able to demonstrate community support through written communication from prominent members of the community.
Economic viability must be demonstrated by the provision of the proposed budget, including fees payable, proposed enrolment, other income (Commonwealth Government funding, State Government allowances, etc.), major expenses (loan commitments, etc.), and number of staff and associated salaries. Student hostels operating from rented premises must have long term leases (at least 2 years or, at least 10 years if major capital assistance is required under the Student Hostel Support Scheme Capital Grant program).
Where the hostel will accommodate fewer than 10 students, a special case must be made (including reasons for low enrolments and whether an increase is anticipated etc.).
Departmental officers will verify student enrolment details with the relevant schools and may visit the hostel before funding approval is given.
(f) ensure that all obligations are met under the Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian Act 2000 in respect of employees and volunteers, and ensure that at least one employee holds a valid Senior First Aid Certificate at all times;
Hostel management authorities and staff must ensure that the physical, emotional and psychological safety of students is of paramount importance at all times and all reasonable steps are taken to protect them from any harm.
(g) maintain acceptable processes to provide a safe and healthy environment for students and staff;
Hostels must have written policies and processes about the appropriate conduct of their staff and students, consistent with legislation applying in Queensland about the care or protection of children.
The policies and processes must cover the following areas:
Inappropriate behaviour
A process for the reporting by a student of behaviour of a staff member that the student considers is inappropriate and how this information will be dealt with.
Sexual abuse by an employee
A process for immediately reporting in writing, sexual abuse or suspected sexual abuse.
Reporting of harm
A process for the reporting by a staff member of harm that the staff member is aware of or reasonably suspects has been caused to a student (inside or outside of the hostel).
Implementation and accessibility
All of the policies must be readily accessible by parents, staff and students and provide for how the staff and students are to be made aware of the processes.
The hostel’s management authority must be able to demonstrate how the hostel is implementing the processes.
Further details on how these requirements can be met are available in section 7 of the kit.
(h) be operated by:
(i) a local government authority; or
(ii) a non-profit body which has demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Director-General of Education and Training that it is a responsible organisation suitable to operate a student hostel;
Details of membership of the management committee and copies of documents showing incorporation of the body must be provided.
(i) be approved by relevant bodies which have responsibility for declaring the accommodation, facilities and operational use as being satisfactory, and be available for inspection by officers of interested State Government departments; and
New hostels
New or renovated facilities must be declared satisfactory by the local authority for the purposes intended and meet health, fire safety, and workplace health and safety requirements in force at the time.
Continuing hostels
Triennial inspections should be carried out by relevant authorities to verify fire and structural safety. Structural inspections can be carried out by registered builders. Reports or certificates verifying these requirements should be available for Departmental inspection.
A guide to relevant fire safety requirements can be found in section 6 of the kit.
(j) continue to comply with general funding conditions and Student Hostel Support Scheme accountability requirements.
Hostel authorities will be required to confirm their continued compliance with the hostel funding conditions when application is made for grants under the Student Hostel Support Scheme Recurrent Grant.
Departmental officers will undertake to visit each hostel every three years if possible. During visits, hostels will be asked to present various documents to demonstrate continued compliance with funding conditions. The accountability checklist will be completed by the Departmental officer during the visit.
If for exceptional reasons regular visits cannot occur, hostels may be requested to complete the accountability checklist and send copies of these documents to the department.
While hostel management authorities are obliged to comply with all lawful requirements eg. fire safety and to remedy all potentially hazardous situations immediately, there are some conditions which could take a longer period to redress i.e. enrolments. For this reason departmental funding recognition is not automatically withdrawn when non-compliance with funding conditions is identified.